Baby, Come Home
by Stelena-Beautiful
Summary: A Days cast-fic that picks up in June of 2014. It's going to be a long, hot summer in Salem... Multiple pairings and characters will be featured.
1. Chapter 1

**Baby, Come Home**

**Episode 1: The Bridal Shower**

_**Mid-June 2014**_

Jennifer Deveraux bustled around the house getting ready for the surprise bridal shower. Any minute, the guests would start arriving and then Hope would bring Nicole around and the fun could begin. Nicole hadn't wanted a big deal made of the wedding – she had said that she wanted the whole occasion to be small and private – but in Jennifer's mind, it was a cause for serious celebrating anytime one was marrying the love of their life, as Nicole was Eric.

Jennifer's eyes fell on the picture of her own lost love on the mantle. She set down the plate of petit fours and moved to pick up the photo frame. On days like this, she couldn't help remember her first wedding to Jack, how perfectly disastrous and then just how perfect it was. How in that moment, she had truly believed that she would have forever and ever with him.

"I miss you, Jack," she said. "I know you're up there though, watching over all of us, making sure we're okay. Every time I'm tempted to give up, I can't because I think of you and how you'd be urging me on – harder than anyone, saying 'Don't give up, Jennifer, don't give up.' It's been a really hard year, Jack; I made some idiotic and downright horrible decisions that forever changed lives … But I know you'd understand and love me any way. Just like I will always love you."

"Mom, who are you talking to?" Abby asked, coming down the staircase. She spotted the picture frame in her Jennifer's hands. "Oh, Dad… You miss him, don't you?"

"Every day," Jennifer admitted. "You miss him too, huh?" It wasn't really a question.

"Yes. Now more than ever," Abby said. "I wish I hadn't been so …judgmental of him all the time. I am so sorry for every harsh word-"

Jennifer held up a hand. "He understands. And he would never, ever blame you."

Abby sighed. "It's enough that I blame myself." She sighed again and looked around the room at the streamers and party favors and decorations. "It looks great, Mom."

"Thanks, Abigail."

"Do you need any help?"

"Actually, I do. Do you think you could get the deviled eggs out of the refrigerator for me while I finish stringing up this banner?"

"Of course," Abby said. She smiled at her mom and hurried into the kitchen.

Jennifer kissed Jack's picture and then set it back down on the mantle. She let out a little breath and then went back to working on the decorations.

XoXoXo

Abby went into the kitchen and immediately moved towards the refrigerator. She felt better today than she had in awhile. Ever since Nick's death, she had been waiting for the other shoe to drop but it hadn't. Maybe it was time to stop looking over her shoulder, expecting the worst.

She opened the door of the fridge and found the tray of deviled eggs. There were three dozen of them and they looked …

They smelled…

"Ohmigod…"

Abby felt waves of nausea course through her as she reached for the crystal tray. She then quickly shoved it back in the refrigerator and looked around desperately for something to vomit in. She made it to the sink right in time, upchucking what was left of her dinner from the night before.

She collapsed against the sink, holding on tight as she puked still more. Soon enough she heard her mother pushing back the door. She cringed as Jennifer called her name and ran to her, pulling back her hair. "Abby, what's wrong?" Jennifer asked.

Abby rinsed her mouth out with a handful of cold water. "Abby?" Jennifer said again.

"It's nothing, Mom," Abby said. "I must have just eaten something that didn't agree with me."

"Oh, Abby."

"I'm fine," Abby reiterated though she felt anything but. She slowly turned to face her mom. "Would it be okay if I skipped out on the shower and lay down for a bit instead?"

"Sure, of course it's okay," Jennifer said. She looked at her daughter worriedly. She reached out and felt Abby's forehead. "You don't feel warm, so that's a good sign. But yes, get some sleep."

"Thanks," Abby said. She then headed out of the kitchen.

Each step she took out of the kitchen felt like a mile. Abby felt truly just… _gross._ She made it up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door after her. She flipped on the light and was passing the mirror when she spotted a vomit stain on her blue blouse. She cringed and started to turn away. Her profile showed in the mirror and she paused in her tracks, feeling another wave of nausea coming on. If she looked at herself just so… A small belly was evident, a slight curving of her abdomen. Her clothes had felt awfully snug lately too, now that she thought of it.

She put a hand over her mouth. No, no it couldn't be. She knew it couldn't.

But as she turned left and right in front of the full-length mirror, she couldn't deny the truth.

She was beginning to look … _pregnant!_

XoXoXo

"Hope, what on earth? Where are we going?" Nicole asked as soon as she had climbed into Hope's car. They had accidentally run into each other at Horton Square but it was beginning to feel not so accidental now. Hope's insistence that they hang out was downright bizarre and saying she had a craving for ice cream and wanted Nicole to accompany her to the parlor was weirder still.

"Hope, we just passed the ice cream parlor," Nicole said, tapping her fingernails on the arm rest as Hope fired up the engine. "Where _are_ we going?"

"I just remembered I have to pick up Ciara at Jennifer's."

"Oh yeah?" Nicole said.

"Yes."

"You're a very bad liar, Hope Brady," Nicole said. "Seriously – where are we going and why?"

"To Jennifer's!" Hope insisted. She proved that she was telling the truth by pulling down Jennifer's familiar street.

"But this still feels like a setup."

"Nicole, don't be so suspicious."

"Tell me what's going on," Nicole demanded.

Hope shook her head. "Nope. Just find out yourself." She then pulled her Geo to the curb and hopped out before Nicole could ask any more questions.

Nicole groaned and had no choice but to follow. One, she wasn't going to sit in a heated car for god knew how long and two, she was just curious enough about what was going on inside. It seemed so quiet in there, so deathly quiet until-

She pushed back the door and heard shrieks of _"Surprise!"_ ring through the air.

"Ohmigod," Nicole said. Her hands settled on her hips for a moment as she looked around at the decor. "Okay, I was –" she zeroed in on Jennifer holding a tray of petit fours –"not counting on this at all. I am an investigative reporter but … I think I told you Eric and I didn't want to make a big deal of this."

Jennifer nodded, smiling. "You did but guess what – it_ is_ a big deal. You're marrying your soulmate in a few days, Nicole. That's a huge deal and we want to celebrate your joy with you."

Hope nodded her agreement, as did the other women there. Assembled along with the Horton cousins were Maggie, Jordan Ridgeway, Adrienne Kiriakis and a disapproving-looking Marlena Evans. Marlena had been dead set against Nicole and Eric's relationship and had thrown a huge fit when she was informed that they were to be married, but yet she was here and Nicole supposed that counted for something.

She dropped her hands from her hips. "Okay, you're forgiven even though I know you're not sorry," Nicole said with a grin. She then moved deeper into the room and snatched a petit four off the plate in Jennifer's hand. "Alright… Let the party begin!"

"Yes," Jordan agreed. "This will be great."

"Thanks to all of you for coming," Nicole said. It was a very small gathering but it was so nice to see some people actually cared about her. Other than Eric, sometimes she felt that she didn't have any allies in this town. Maybe she had been wrong, as she had about so many things.

She grinned as she nibbled on her snack. "Are we playing cheesy bridal shower games?"

"Yep," Jennifer said with a laugh. "First one on the agenda … Making wedding dresses out of toilet paper!"

"Oh god, please no!" Nicole said but she laughed.

Just then the doorbell rang and Maggie rushed to get it, since she was closest to the door. She opened it and Nicole spotted a deliveryman in a poo-brown uniform standing on the step. "Delivery for Nicole Walker," he said, holding up a package.

Nicole moved over to him. "Who's it from?"

"I'm not sure," the man answered. He handed her his pen and Nicole signed for the package. It was a small brown, nondescript looking box. She figured it was a wedding gift. What else could it be?

_Little did she know…_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hey, all. It occurs to me that some of you might want to know what major couplings I will be featuring in this ensemble story. While I absolutely **hate** to tip my hand, I think it's only fair to tell you at least some of the endgame pairings. The duos will go through lots and lots of drama but in the end, will be together. The pairings _set in stone_ are:

_**Aiden and Hope  
Daniel and Nicole  
Jack and Jennifer  
JJ and Paige  
Sonny and Will  
Rafe and Jordan**_

The rest are either to be decided or a secret ha-ha And now without further ado, here we go with a new chapter.

**Episode 2: The Bridal Shower Continues**

Abby lay still in her bed, feeling nearly catatonic with shock. In the distance, somewhere downstairs, she could hear merrymaking going on, but it didn't faze her. She felt sick but she couldn't puke anymore. She felt so out of sorts; it was unreal. If she was pregnant … Then EJ … Oh god…

She turned over on her bed, curling into a fetal position. Her hand naturally came to rest on her sloping belly. How had she not seen it before; how had she not realized? Even though the doctor had said she wasn't pregnant … Well, that had to be a mistake, right? But did doctors make mistakes like that? Exactly how far along was she? What was she going to do with a baby? How would she explain this to her mother?

All these thoughts plagued her but she was unable to cry anymore. And that was good. She was tired of that. But she figured the tears would come later when she had to tell the world she really was what Nick had accused her of being – EJ Dimera's little whore.

Her brain was screaming and her heart hurt. She lay there for a long, long time and finally knew what she had to do. She climbed to her feet, feeling very shaky, like her legs were made of Jell-O. She went to her closet and yanked on a long, thick coat. It was hot as hell today but she didn't care. She needed a cover-up; now she was suddenly paranoid that everyone could see what she was.

She bunched the coat around her and then taking a deep breath, she headed downstairs. She was going to have to take matters into her own hands.

She tip-toed actually down the steps so as not to disturb the party in progress and draw attention to herself. She thought she was home free because everyone was busy eating cake and gossiping but she wasn't so lucky. As she approached the door, her cousin Hope spotted her.

"Hey, Abby," she called to her. "How are you?"

Abby hugged herself, trying to hide the belly she was now sure that everyone could see. "Uh, fine…"

Jennifer turned around from where she was cutting another slice of cake. "Hey, honey. Are you feeling any better?" She peered at Abby. "What's the winter coat for?"

"Uh, I'm a little cold."

"Cold? On a day like this?" Maggie piped up. "It must be at least in the nineties."

The other women nodded their agreement. Abby blushed. "Well, I'm a bit chilly right now. I think I have the flu after all."

"Oh, Abby," Jennifer said, hurrying to her daughter. "You didn't feel feverish earlier; it must have just kicked in after you vomited."

Abby blushed again and then stilled her mother's hand as Jennifer went to feel her forehead. "No, no. I will be fine. Just don't get too close … I mean, I don't want to get you sick too…"

"I'm not worried, Abigail, but I do think you need to go upstairs and get some rest."

"Mom, I-"

"I insist," Jennifer said. "I know you're an adult but I know a sick person when I see one so please lay down and I'll bring you some hot chamomile tea to warm you up."

Abby sighed and nodded, heading back up the stairs. She'd have to find another way out of here somehow.

XoXoXo

"Poor Abby," Hope murmured as she walked into the kitchen to find Jennifer filling a pot with water. Jennifer nodded as she set it on the stove.

"I know," Jennifer said. "The poor thing. Sick during summer and unable to enjoy the cake and festivities and fun. This was just what she needed too – to forget-"

"Nick," Hope said. Jennifer nodded again.

"Have you made any progress on finding his killer?" Jennifer asked, shivering herself at the thought. She still couldn't believe Nick had been gunned down like a rabid animal. It didn't seem right and she knew Grandmother Horton was looking down at all of them wondering how they had let things go so far.

"Well its one step forward and five steps back," Hope said. "Just when I think I may know who it is-" She shook her head. "Well, it might be a while yet before I can be sure. But I'm not giving up until I get justice for Nick."

"You're a good woman, Hope."

Hope smiled and hugged her cousin. "You're not half bad yourself."

"Can anyone get in on this hug?" Maggie asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway of the kitchen.

Hope and Jennifer smiled and laughed in time, holding out their arms to Maggie. Maggie embraced them both and they enjoyed a long group hug. Maggie looked at the two younger women who she thought of as her nieces, or sometimes even daughters. "It's been really hard lately, hasn't it, but things are starting to turn around. I really believe that."

"I hope you're right," Jennifer said.

The tea pot started whistling. "I'm going to take some up to Abigail and I'll be right back. Don't start opening presents without me."

"We won't but hurry," Maggie said, "Nicole is eyeing them all very excitedly."

"For someone who didn't want a big fuss made of her wedding, she sure seems to be enjoying herself," Hope said. "And I'm glad. She and Eric make a really good pair."

"They do," Jennifer agreed. "I feel like they are soulmates. That they'll get their happy ending."

Jennifer then grabbed the teapot and poured some into a cup. She placed the cup on a saucer and headed upstairs.

She found Abby lying in bed, still wearing that bulky jacket, covers yanked up to her chin. "Sweetheart," Jennifer said softly. "You look miserable. Is there anything I can do?"

Abby shook her head. "No, I just need some time, I think."

Jennifer nodded, setting the saucer on the bedside table. "Well, I'm downstairs if you need anything but for now, just drink your tea and try to relax some. The flu should pass soon. If not, I'll take you to see Kayla."

"That won't be necessary," Abby said quickly. She bit her lip. "It will pass, I am sure of it."

Jennifer peered closely at her daughter. "Is there something wrong, Abby? Other than the flu? Is it the business with Nick's death that's getting you down?"

"No, no I'm fine," Abby said her but Jennifer thought her assurances sounded hollow. She would have to try to get Abby to talk to her later, after the party, when everything had calmed down.

"I love you, Abigail," Jennifer said. "Take care okay?"

"Okay," Abby murmured. Jennifer sighed and walked down the staircase.

XoXoXo

"Am I too late for presents?" Jennifer asked as she came back down the stairs.

Nicole shook her head as she looked at her friend. _Her friend._ It was so weird to think how close she and Jennifer had become when not so long ago, they had hated each other. Nicole had done some truly horrible things to Jennifer and she felt bad. She felt bad for a lot of things, actually…

She shook her head. No, no she wasn't going there. Although she and Daniel were at decided cross-purposes, she had gotten him to swear that he wouldn't tell Eric anything about what she had done to cover up the evidence that Kristen had indeed drugged and taken advantage of Eric. No one would ever know now. Nicole was sure that she was in the clear, though she did miss the closeness that she and Daniel used to enjoy; the trust too.

She smiled brightly to force aside the negative thoughts. She and Eric were going to get their happy ending finally and she couldn't wait.

"You're just in time," Nicole said and she squished over on the sofa so Jennifer could slide in beside her. Jordan and Hope stacked presents on the coffee table and Nicole reached for the first one. She shook it. "Hmm, what can this be? Naughty lingerie?" She joked. She saw Marlena stiffen. "Uh never mind."

She opened the accompanying card and smiled as she saw that it was from Jordan. She didn't know Rafe's girlfriend all that well but she wasn't Sami and she treated Rafe right so what else could Nicole ask for? Maybe they could go out sometime and have coffee together.

Nicole smiled at Jordan as she shredded the paper on the little box. She reached in and discovered two day passes for a couple's spa and massages. "I have _heard_ weddings are super stressful to plan so I thought you and Eric might enjoy some R&R," Jordan explained.

"This is great. Thanks so much, Jordan. These will go to good use, I promise you that."

"You're welcome. Mattie who runs the place works part-time as a PT at the hospital. She's really good and thorough."

"This is perfect then," Nicole said as she tucked the passes back into the box.

Nicole spent another twenty minutes opening presents. She got a ton from all of them. She even got something from Marlena which she definitely wasn't expecting. It was expensive marble bookends and Nicole briefly wondered if Marlena would like to club her with them. She shook off the thought as she looked over her presents.

"That is some loot," she said with a chuckle as she looked over at every gift. "This means so much to me, everyone. I am so thrilled to be marrying Eric and thrilled we have your support."

"Wait, Nicole, there's one more," Jordan piped up, holding up the nondescript package that had been delivered earlier.

"Oh yes," Nicole said. Jordan handed it to her and she looked at it. There was no return address or even a name on it.

"I wonder what it can be," Nicole said, shaking it.

"I hope it's not glass," Marlena put in, sort of disapprovingly.

"It doesn't feel heavy," Nicole returned and started to tear away the brown paper. Soon she was looking at a gift box. She lifted the lid as everyone watched her.

"Well, what is it?" Jennifer asked.

"Patience, Jen," Nicole said with a laugh. She reached into the box and extracted a small white envelope. "It's a gift certificate, I bet."

Nicole pulled the paper from the envelope and looked at it. Right away, she felt her cake turn to a hard lump in her stomach. She felt sick and she knew her face showed her shock too. She quickly stuck the papers back into the envelope and resealed the box.

"Nicole, what is it? You look like you've seen a ghost," Jennifer said.

Nicole attempted a smile that felt very forced even to her. "It's just what I thought. A gift certificate. To the met," she lied. "Anyway, I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Everyone watched in surprise as Nicole stuffed the little box into her purse and yanked the strap over her shoulder. She then headed towards the bathroom, tears of anger, frustration and fear – yes, fear – filling her eyes. She went into the bathroom and bolted the door. She was sure everyone was wondering why she had reacted that way she had, but she didn't care. All she cared about what shredding the evidence. Someone wanted to upset her, but who and why?

She opened her purse and yanked out the box and envelope. She opened it and looked at the contents again. The proof she had lifted from Dr. Chyka that Eric was innocent of what he had been accused of; the proof she had hid for months now. Along with a taunting note that said simply_, "How long do you think you can hide the truth from your beloved fiancé?"_

Nicole cursed and immediately shredded the papers into tiny pieces. She then shoved them down the toilet, praying this time that they couldn't come back. Tears blurred her eyes but as she flushed the toilet, she told herself to calm down and stop_ looking_ as guilty as she felt.

XoXoXo

The bridal shower wrapped up in the next hour. Nicole was grateful when it was all over. She had ceased to enjoy the rest of it, worried someone would ask her why she had sprinted off the way she had. They had all asked if she was okay but she had assured them she was, even though they didn't seem to believe her. Hell, she didn't believe she was okay. Her whole world could implode again. She had to figure out who was behind her ominous "gift" and shut them up. If it was Daniel… No, it couldn't be Daniel. He wouldn't be so cruel. He may keep urging her to tell Eric the truth but he wasn't mean-spirited. Still, she had to suspect _everyone_ now.

After thanking everyone again, she helped Hope load gifts into the car and they were about to climb in when she spotted Marlena approaching. Nicole sighed and went to meet her. "Hey Marlena," Nicole said. "Thanks for coming to my surprise shower. I really loved the bookends. I can't wait to show them to Eric."

Marlena clutched her handbag to her almost protectively. "I am glad you liked them. You received a lot of great presents though. Tickets to the Met? That's especially wonderful. Whoever sent them must love you a lot."

Nicole stiffened. The suspicion in Marlena's voice was unmistakable. "Yeah, someone does. Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Can I see them?"

"Excuse me?"

"Can I see the Met tickets? I just want to-"

"Marlena, I don't know why you want to see them so badly but they're already packed away so sorry, no you can't." Nicole then offered her a tight smile and hopped in Hope's Geo. She slammed the door loudly after her.

Hope waved to Marlena as she sighed and walked away. Hope then peered closely at Nicole. "What was that all about?"

Nicole shrugged. "I have no idea," she lied. She knew the truth deep down though. Marlena now suspected that Nicole was hiding something. And she probably would investigate until she found out exactly what.

Nicole felt awful then - and worse, _scared._


End file.
